ImPerfect Paradise
by MeridaFaeScott
Summary: Sometimes what matters most remains unspoken. Silence doesn't make it fade, though.


**I had a breach in my writer's block. No telling if it's just this one story or if more will come of it…I can only hope! Let me know what you think. :D**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. Not the characters, piece of song…Nothing but the idea.**

The walk was the longest ever, dragging out painfully and each step tried to tell her to turn around and go back. There wasn't any point in hurting herself further and her subconscious was convinced that was exactly what she was headed toward.

Caitlyn took a breath as she knocked on the cabin door, noticing that an almost eerie silence had fallen over the camp. Perhaps a storm was coming-it had been overcast all day, but no sign of rain otherwise had come. No it was unusually silent.

Footsteps could be heard behind the wooden door and for a moment Caitlyn glanced around frantically, considering running away before it opened. Too late. The familiar face was smiling at her before he stepped back to let her in.

"I've been wondering where you've been hiding," Nate commented cheerfully as he sat on the couch and turned the TV's volume down. Her brown eyes shifted around the cabin, seeing if there was any sign of the other two Grays. They were alone.

"I haven't been hiding," Caitlyn snapped before being able to catch herself, fingers buried deep in her pocket, clutching a piece of paper tightly. His frown wasn't surprising as he leaned forward in his seat, setting his elbows on his knees and she knew what was coming next.

"What's wrong, Cait?" Nate's predictable words came, but Caitlyn didn't have an answer despite her knowing he was going to ask. What could she say? Why had she come anyways?

"What could be wrong?" she tried to sound normal, but her voice didn't seem to want to cooperate in the least. She earned herself his intent gaze and furrowed eyebrows, "Isn't this the place where dreams come true, after all?"

Nate watched in confusion and uncertainty, plainly not sure how to handle Caitlyn's dark mood. She knew he was clueless as to what was bothering her, but that only made her even more aggravated.

"Isn't this the place," Caitlyn went on bitterly, her voice growing stronger with each word, "where Connect 3 became a band? Isn't this the wonderful place where Mitchie fell in love with Shane? Isn't this the place where people's dreams come true?"  
Nate opened his mouth to reply, but Caitlyn ignored it and finished her rant, "What could be wrong in this _perfect paradise_?" The last comment was so filled with bitterness and irritation that she had to avoid his eyes.

There was a heavy silence as Nate hesitated in speaking, looking like he had no idea how to reply to her words. Caitlyn clenched her jaw and avoided his eyes, clutching the piece of paper in her pocket with renewed vigor as she stared at the ground.

"…What happened?" he tried again, sounding unnerved by the change in Caitlyn. She was usually the straightforward, blunt one. No one had to ask more than once what was bothering her-she would tell you instantly. Caitlyn didn't sharpen the knife to make it hurt less; she used the knife she had even if it was dull and hurt more when it stabbed you.

Caitlyn met his eyes, but didn't reply, challenging him to guess or ask again. Never did she expect him to say the words that passed his lips next after he sighed, "I'm not a mind reader, Caitlyn," the use of her full name stung, "even if you want me to be. You can't expect me to just _know _what's wrong."

Trying not to show her hurt at his annoyed words, "Maybe it's something obvious and you should've known from the beginning." Nate closed his eyes a moment, his mouth in a tight line that told her he was growing more aggravated.

"You don't have to be difficult," Nate snapped, "obviously, it's not obvious or I'd know. So just tell me what's bothering you-Did I do something?"

Caitlyn blinked carefully to be sure she didn't start crying right there before him. At her continued silence, Nate stood with a frustrated sigh and came to stand right before her, "This isn't a game," Nate spoke evenly, sounding as though he was containing his irritation with her, "So stop being dramatic and just _tell me_ what's wrong!"

She licked her lips and took a step backward, clutching the paper in her pocket even tighter, "I-I can't do that, Nate," Caitlyn breathed, wishing her voice hadn't shaken so badly. One thing she hated most was appearing weak.

His eyes searched her face slowly, possibly trying yet again to guess what he had done that made her so irritated and caused the hurt that she was trying to disguise in her eyes. Apparently, he came up with no answer.

"Fine," he snapped, "Then I can't help you feel better."

"I never expected you to," Caitlyn spoke softly, honesty shining in her every word. She knew that if she met his eyes, she would see hurt. But the floor was suddenly intriguing again.

"Dana's probably waiting for me," Nate murmured, sounding uncertain as to what to say or how to reply to her hurtful words, "So I should get going." He turned to cross the room in search of his jacket, not seeing the way Caitlyn was fighting tears at the mention of the other girl's name.

He didn't meet her eyes as he passed her but stopped at the door to speak, "If you would just tell me what I did, I could apologize and fix it."

"No, you couldn't," Caitlyn whispered, closing her eyes at the sound of the door slamming behind him. She'd made him mad. She'd sounded as though she was insulting him by saying he wouldn't care, "I mean, you wouldn't." she added to the empty cabin.

Only waiting a few moments she heard Nate's footsteps walking away, realizing he had waited to see if she'd follow him out to apologize and explain. Maybe if it was something else. Maybe if there was a different reason why she was acting like this with him.

Brushing her hands against her damp cheeks, Caitlyn stepped out of the cabin and felt the cool rush of air and smelled the rain on it's way. Her hand was sweaty as she finally withdrew it from her pocket, bringing the worn piece of paper in her thin fingers.

As she unfolded it, Caitlyn noticed the worn lines where it had been folded and refolded the past few days. Her vision blurred slightly as she read her own handwritten lyrics on the piece of paper.

_And she's walking around_

_Like the girl of your dreams_

_With her Angelina lips…_

_Can't believe I didn't see this coming around_

_She's just so beautiful_

_I'm just an average girl_

Reading the words for what felt like the millionth time since she'd written them made her throat ache, but Caitlyn refused to cry, pretending that she wasn't already. Even as she stared down at the piece of paper, a rain drop landed and smeared the green ink and distorting one word. _Angelina. _Somehow it now read _Dana._

**So glad some readers were letting me know they wanted sad stories! I think they may have been the key to getting me to write this…Any more suggestions/requests?**

** Thanks for reading! Review, maybe? ;)**


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